KARAK: Three educational institutions have been closed in Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over emergence of new coronavirus cases.

Currently there are 14 active cases of coronavirus in Karak. According to officials conducting corona tests in Karak, active cases in the district are 14 and most of them are female students.

Officials said the coronavirus tests of male and female students of Government Post Graduate College Karak, Government Girls Degree College Karak and Government Higher Secondary School Karak City came back as positive after which academic activities in these educational institutions have been suspended temporarily.

Officials said in their report that random tests of 4,000 people from different fields have been taken in the district. They said the process of random testing is continuing as a precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

Dr Bashir Khattak, who keeps an eye on corona cases in Karak, said people should strictly observe the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in their workplaces and residences. He said if the corona cases kept on increasing then the government will be left with no option but to enforce a strict lockdown.

On October 08, four more cases of coronavirus surfaced in the schools of Lakki Marwat.

Focal Person Dr Muhammad Ashfaq said the affected schools included Government Girls High School Landiwah, Government Higher Secondary School Landiwah and Government Middle School Nasr Din Begukhel where two male and one female students were affected. An employee of Town Tajazai was also diagnosed with coronavirus. The affected students were quarantined and their classrooms closed for five days.

On October 05, Peshawar’s Khyber Medical University (KMU) was closed after coronavirus cases of seven students came back as positive.

A spokesman for the university said the decision of closure of the university for two weeks was taken for safety of students after emergence of coronavirus cases. He said six male and one female student were diagnosed with coronavirus.

The announcement of KMU closure came two days after the KP government closed five educational institutions after emergence of coronavirus cases in government and private schools. The educational institutions which were closed included four government schools and one private school.